New Zealand Government Establishes Vendor Working Group on Verifiable Credentials
The New Zealand Government has taken a pivotal step in advancing digital trust by establishing a Vendor Working Group on Verifiable Credentials (VCs). Announced by Minister Collins at the Digital Trust Hui in August 2025, the Working Group will be hosted and mediated by Digital Identity New Zealand (DINZ), an independent industry body. Its mandate is to bring together leading vendors to develop a coordinated approach that ensures verifiable credential solutions are:
- Trusted and secure
- Aligned to global standards
- Usable and consistent for citizens, customers, and employees
- Designed with privacy and confidence at the core
The Group’s outputs will focus on practical foundations — from common UX patterns and relying party conduct, to governance and oversight models that protect individuals while enabling broad adoption. Early deliverables, including a communications strategy and draft terms of reference, are expected by December 2025.
A Global Context
Governments worldwide are exploring verifiable credentials. The European Union is advancing its European Digital Identity Wallet; Singapore has published frameworks on VCs; and the W3C continues to standardise the technical specifications. Against this backdrop, New Zealand’s move positions it as an early adopter in the Pacific region — shifting from exploratory pilots to structured, vendor-aligned governance.
Leadership
DINZ has appointed Andrew Mabey, Country Manager at UNIFY Solutions, as Chair of the Working Group. Andrew will oversee industry collaboration and ensure the Group’s recommendations are practical, human-centred, and designed for scale. This initiative represents a strong commitment by New Zealand to ensure verifiable credentials are deployed in a way that is trusted, interoperable, and beneficial for all New Zealanders.
Read more about Verifiable Credentials.